Precision farming in the UK

13 January 1999

Precision farming in the UK

Question

IN the USA, farmers find benefits from using precision agriculture. This is mainly because their fields are larger than in most of Europe, and equipment is more easily cost effective. In France, for the moment, people are not
convinced of any benefits from precision farming. What is the situation like in the UK?

Response

Debbie Beaton, Crops magazine

Answer

IN the UK there is an enormous amount of interest in precision
farming. Several farmers are using the technology successfully to help
reduce their unit costs of production.

However it is generally agreed
that the technology is still well ahead of our practical
understanding. More work is needed on the practical implications of
using the technology.